Bumper sub position indicator



Feb. 6, 1968 D. L. SIMS BUMPER SUB POSITION INDICATOR Filed Feb. 25,1966 04225 L. SIMS l I N VEN '1 OR. I BYW J 5M lllllflillll lllll fi uaa 6 A TTORNE Y5 United States Patent Oflice Patented Feb. 6, 19683,367,422 BUMPER SUB POSITION INDICATOR Darrell L. Sims, Houston, Tex.,assiguor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America asrepresented by the National Science Foundation Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser.No. 530,178 3 Claims. (Cl. 166-187) This invention relates generally toapparatus for providing a surface indication when the two telescopingsections of a bumper sub located in a string of drill pipe are in apreselected position relative to each other. In particular, thisinvention relates to apparatus that provides such surface indicationwith a pressure signal transmitted to the surface through the drillingfluid being circulated through the pipe string.

It is often desirable to know when a bumper sub in a pipe string is in apreselected position. For example, when the sub is being used to controlthe weight on a b1t, it is desirable to know when the sub is closed. Byclosed it is is meant that the two telescoping sections of the sub havetelescoped the full extent for which the sub is designed and any furtherlowering of the pipe string will increase the Weight on the bit.Conversely, it may be desirable on occasions to know when the sub isfully open, i.e., when the two telescoping sections have moved apart tothe extent allowed. Knowing this, the driller can lower the pipe stringto prevent the weight on the bit from decreasing as the bit continues todrill.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide novel apparatusfor producing a surface detectable pressure signal in the drilling fluidbeing circulated in a string of drill pipe when a bumper sub in thestring is in a preselected position.

It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus forproducing a surface detectable pressure signal in the drilling fluidbeing circulated in a string of drill pipe when a bumper sub in thestring is in a preselected position, said signal producing apparatusbeing controlled directly by the bumper sub.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide such apparatusthat is simple in construction and positive in operation.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of this invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of thisspecification and attached drawings.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detailin connection with the attached drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view through a bumper sub equipped withthe signal producing apparatus of this invention when the bumper sub isnot in the preselected position;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of such apparatus when the bumpersub is in the preselected position; and

FIGURE 3 is an alternate arrangement of a portion of the apparatus forproducing a signal when the sub is in another preselected position.

Bumper sub in FIGURE 1 has two telescoping sections. The firsttelescoping section includes mandrel 12 and upper connector sub 13. Theupper sub connects the first telescoping section to the portion of drillstring above the bumper sub.

The other telescoping section of the bumper sub includes tubular member11, within which mandrel 12 is located, and lower connector sub 14. Cap15, attached to the upper end of member 11, provides a downwardly facingannular shoulder 16 to engage upwardly facing shoulder 17 on the mandreland limit the downward travel of the second telescoping section relativeto the first. Lower sub 14 provides an upwardly facing annular shoulder18 to engage lower end 12a of mandrel 12 and limit the downward travelof the first telescoping member relative to the second one. When end 12aof mandrel 12 is in engagement with annular surface 18 on the lowerconnector sub, the bumper sub is closed and the weight of the tubularstring above the bumper sub can be transmitted to the bit or whatever isconnected to the drilling string below the bumper sub. Conversely, whenthe two interengaging shoulders 16 and 17 are in engagement, the bumpersub is fully open and some or all of the weight of the drilling stringbelow the bumper sub can be carried by the upper string.

Connected into the drill string below the bumper sub is the apparatus ofthis invention, generally indicated by the number 20. It includestubular body 21, which is connected directly to the lower end of bottomsub 14 of the bumper sub, so the drilling fluid flowing through thedrill string will pass through the bore of the body. Located in the boreof the body is sleeve 22. The sleeve is made of flexible materialpreferably an elastomer, such as rubber. Means are provided for holdingupstream end 22a of the sleeve open and against movement downstream withthe drilling fluid to cause the drilling fluid to flow through thesleeve as it travels through the bore of the body. In the embodimentshown, the upper end of the sleeve is bonded to annular ring 23 whichrests on an upwardly facing annular shoulder 24 formed in the bore ofthe body by increasing the diameter of the bore above that point. Theannular ring is provided with seal 25 which engages the enlarged bore ofthe body and provides a seal between the upper end of the sleeve and thebody. This insures that all of the drilling fluid that passes throughthe body, also passes through the sleeve. Lower end 22b of the sleeve isbonded to annular ring 26 to hold the lower end of the sleeve open. Seal27 carried by ring 26 provides a seal between the lower end of thesleeve and the body.

Means actuated by one of the telescoping sections of the bumper sub areprovided to collapse sleeve 22 to restrict the flow of drilling fluidthrough the bore of body 21 and create a pressure signal in the drillingfluid that is detectable at the surface. In the embodiment shown, suchmeans are arranged to collapse the sleeve when the bumper sub is closed.Annular piston 28 is located in upper section 21a of body 21. Thissection of the body has a bore of increased diameter which combines withdepending sleeve 30 of annular piston 28 to form an annular chamber 31between piston 28 and upwardly facing annular shoulder 32. Seals 33 and34 are carried by the piston and the sleeve, respectively, to preventthe escape of fluid from chamber 31. The chamber is connected to thebore of body 21, intermediate the ends of sleeve 22, by passageway 35.

Thus, by filling chamber 31 with a fluid, preferably a liquid, downwardtravel of piston 33 will force the Hard through passageway 35 into thebore of body 21 behind sleeve 22. The fluid will collapse the sleeve, asshown in FIGURE 2, and restrict the flow of drilling fluid and create asurface detectable pressure signal therein. To cause this to occur whenthe bumper sub is closed, tubular extension member 29 is mounted onpiston 28 and extends upward into tubular member 11. The extensionmember is long enough to be engaged by end 12a of mandrel 12 and forcepiston 28 downward to collapse the sleeve, when the bumper sub isclosing. If the drill string is raised to open the bumper sub the sleevewill force the fluid behind it back through passageway 35 into chamber32 and open up the bore through the body to the fullest extent possible.

This same apparatus can be employed to indicate when the bumper sub isopen by simply reversing the action of the piston in the fluid chamber,as shown in FIGURE 3. In this embodiment, the bore of body 35 isprovided with a section 35a of increased internal diameter to provide adownwardly facing annular shoulder 36. Annular piston 37 is slidablymounted in bore section 35a of body 35 for movement upward relativethereto. Sleeve 38 is integrally attached to the piston to combine withthe piston and the bore of the body to form annular fluid chamber 40.The sleeve is connected to tubular extension member 39 which isconnected to mandrel 12. Thus, upward movement of the mandrel willdisplace the fluid from fluid chamber 40, through passageway 41, andcollapse a sleeve (not shown) in the manner described above.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth,together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the apparatus and structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for indicating at the surface when the two telescopingsections of a bumper sub, located in a string of drill pipe throughwhich drilling fluid is being pumped, are in a preselected positionrelative to each other, said apparatus comprising, a tubular bodyadapted to be connected in a pipe string to one of the telescopingsections of a bumper sub, said body having a passageway therethrough forthe passage of drilling fluid, a sleeve of flexible material located inthe passageway, means for holding the upstream end of the sleeve openand against movement downstream with the drilling fluid to causedrilling fluid flowing through the opening in the body to flow throughthe sleeve, means for providing a seal between the ends of the flexiblesleeve and the body,

a fluid chamber, a passageway connecting the chamber to the opening inthe body intermediate the ends of the sleeve, and means actuated by theother telescoping section for forcing the fluid in the chamber into theopening to collapse the sleeve and restrict the flow of drilling fluidtherethrough to produce a pressure signal, in the drilling fluid whenthe two telescoping sections of the bumper sub are in the preselectedvposition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the fluid chamber comprises asection of increased diameter in the opening through the body and anannular piston member movable axially in said opening, said piston beingmoved axially to force fluid out of the chamber and collapse the sleeveby said other telescoping section of such bumper sub.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the downstream end of the sleeve isfree to move axially of the opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,227,462 1/1966 Tamplen 166-1873,283,823 11/1966 Warrington 175-243 3,322,215 5/1967 Warrington175--243 3,338,310 8/1967 McGill 166187 JAMES A. LEPPINK, PrimaryExaminer.

1. APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AT THE SURFACE WHEN THE TWO TELESCOPINGSECTIONS OF A BUMPER SUB, LOCATED IN A STRING OF DRILL PIPE THROUGHWHICH DRILLING FLUID IS BEING PUMPED, ARE IN A PRESELECTED POSITIONRELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, A TUBULAR BODYADAPTED TO BE CORRECTED IN A PIPE STRING TO ONE OF THE TELESCOPINGSECTIONS OF A BUMPER SUB, SAID BODY HAVING A PASSAGEWAY THERETHROUGH FORTHE PASSAGE OF DRILLING FLUID, A SLEEVE OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL LOCATED INTHE PASSAGEWAY, MEANS FOR HOLDING THE UPSTREAM END OF THE SLEEVE OPENAND AGAINST MOVEMENT DOWNSTREAM WITH THE DRILLING FLUID TO CAUSEDRILLING FLUID FLOWING THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE BODY TO FLOW THROUGHTHE SLEEVE, MEANS FOR PROVIDING A SEAL BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE FLEXIBLESLEEVE AND THE BODY, A FLUID CHAMBER, A PASSAGEWAY CONNECTING THECHAMBER TO THE OPENING IN THE BODY INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE SLEEVE,AND MEANS ACTUATED BY THE OTHER TELESCOPING SECTION FOR FORCING THEFLUID IN THE CHAMBER INTO THE OPENING TO COLLAPSE THE SLEEVE ANDRESTRICT THE FLOW OF DRILLING